| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| AlyssaMarie |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 07:26:46 AM
We have been raising our chicken flock since the they were 2 day old chicks (first week of March) and last night I found our first eggs! I'm such a proud momma for my Ladies - as I call my hens. The first one had a thin shell but the second one looked to be in great condition. This is to be expected right? It takes time to get them looking great and they'll gain in size over time right? I'm so excited to see that all this fun and work in raising them is starting to pay off! My boys took one look and said "wow now we get and Easter egg hunt every day!"
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
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| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| prairie_princess |
Posted - Jul 20 2009 : 2:37:05 PM
i'm excited for you too! we have the first group of hens we've ever had since the day before Easter... no eggs yet, but hopefully soon! i'm glad i read this so i won't be worried about finding small eggs...
another question... and please don't laugh cause i'm new at some of these things. my hubby had researched info about chickens before we got ours. but a friend's father is now saying you must have at least one rooster around for the hens to even lay eggs... we hadn't heard this. luckily, one of our chicks turned out to be a rooster. but i would like to know if this is true, that they won't even lay if there isn't a rooster to just be there to 'stimulate' their laying...
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."
-Guillaume Apollinaire |
| Tammyb |
Posted - Jul 15 2009 : 4:57:35 PM
Tanna, I have know idea why they laid so well for so long ... must have been the great coop and good food :) I don't think that is the norm but we were not going to complain. By the way I read the book The guide to raising chickens - a Storey book. Great infor which is still on my shelf. That and just as folks with hens .. most people love to share information.
Have fun
Tammyb
Sisterchick #541
Live to leave a legacy
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| AlyssaMarie |
Posted - Jul 14 2009 : 10:45:45 PM
Well we've technically had 7 eggs or so laid now. 2 or 3 have had really soft shells that didn't form completely. I think that is just for the first one though from a couple different birds based on location. They are learning to use their nest boxes. 1 lady is getting really regular at one almost every day about 10:30am. We have 25 hens and 4 different varieties, this is the first variety (breed) to lay at 18 weeks we have another month or so until the other 3 breeds will start laying at 24 weeks. Still this has been lots of fun. Our hens are free range on our farm and eating lots of bugs and what not. My husband and I were thinking of cracking an egg from our hens in one dish and then beside it cracking an egg from a store bought egg to take a picture of the difference! They might be smaller now, but they are already starting to get bigger and the COLOR is so drastically different. This has been so much fun for me and my family. My almost 4 year old and 7 year old can't wait to race to the hen house and see what they can find.
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Jul 14 2009 : 2:28:15 PM
How many more have you gotten since that first one? Don'tcha just love going on egg hunts? I have to do that every day. I try to leave 1 egg in the new nest but they always go to a different one soon after.
Mine should start layibg soon, too. I might be a little too anxious though.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Tanna |
Posted - Jul 14 2009 : 08:47:33 AM
Tammy, 13 years??? I need to know your secrets before I get my hens next year.
Tanna |
| homesteaderbelle |
Posted - Jul 14 2009 : 12:13:16 AM
Finding the first egg is always so exciting! I remeber when I got my first egg, it was the littlest egg I had ever saw! The eggs do get bigger. Right now, the ckens I have are laying eggs so big that they won't fit into an egg carton from the grocery store, I can't even get the lid shut on it.
If the eggshells are thin and do not get any better, you can buy some special feed to help that. I think oyster shell helps the eggshells to be stronger.
Congratulations on your fist egg!
Belle
http://www.homesteaderbelle.blogspot.com/
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| Tammyb |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 4:10:46 PM
Guess what AlyssaMarie ... found an itty bitty egg just now!! So I'm all done being jealous of you and your ladies cause my girls have caught up :)
Tammyb
Live to leave a legacy
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| Tammyb |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 2:46:15 PM
I'm happy for you AlyssaMarie :) We got our laying hens the first of March also but no eggs yet !! I am trying to not be jealous :) !!!! The eggs will get bigger as the "girls" get older. This is our 3rd batch of birds, the 1st laid eggs for 13 years ( gotta treat them right!) and the 2nd batch became food for some mean old red-tailed hawks. These girls have a nicer coop!!!
Enjoy your girls
Tammyb
Sisterchick #541
Live to leave a legacy
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| jpbluesky |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 2:39:50 PM
When I saw the name of this post....for a moment, I thought perhaps you had some body parts enhanced! Oh-oh, I must be in one of my silly moods tonight.
Congrats on being a successful chicken mama. :)
Farmgirl Sister # 31
www.blueskyjeannie.blogspot.com
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
| southerncrossgirl |
Posted - Jul 13 2009 : 1:39:43 PM
Oh, I am so happy for you. I remembered how excited I was, when I got our first chickens. Once you've had fresh eggs, you won't go back to "store bought"
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
| KansasConnie |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 10:07:15 AM
Isn't that just the best feeling, AlyssaMarie?? I love finding pullet eggs! I save mine and make pickled eggs with them. They look so cute in a jar with the pickling spices. You'll be surprised how quickly your ladies will start laying "normal" sized eggs.
Kansas Connie |
| Alee |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 07:32:00 AM
AlyssaMarie- as far as I understand it, young hens will lay eggs that are small and sometimes thin shelled for a while, but they will get better as they get older.
Congrats on the first eggs! Did I mention I am jealous?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| Tanna |
Posted - Jul 08 2009 : 07:29:58 AM
Oh, That's great! I am hoping to get chicks soon, maybe next spring. How exciting. |
